old apparatus - Derren EP

Old Apparatus are one of strangest, most compelling mutations to emerge from the post-Dubstep fallout of recent years. After early offerings on Deep Medi, and more recently remixing Shangaan Electro, they've decamped to their own label, Sullen Tone, which seems the wisest option for their uncategorised, outsider hybrid of electro-acoustic symphonics, synthesized space/Bass music and fractured folk-pop. With this broad-minded scope they relate an immersive, near-cinematic narrative, sweeping us across stormy strings and elemental bass surges into pastoral bliss zones on 'Zimmer', and on through the broken soul mechanics of the title track, sounding like the experiments of Thom Yorke and Four Tet deemed too dark for release. Deeper in, 'Dealow' displays the sheer percussive prowess which made their eponymous debut such a shocker, conjuring voudoo steppers drums and flickering ghostly voices from the ether, before 'Bodah' extrudes your mind thru dense and claustrophobic electro-acoustics. Together with the artwork, it amounts to a most crucial package for fans of owt from Demdike Stare to The Haxan Cloak, Roly Porter or Emptyset.